Fallout: New Vegas -- Honest Hearts

During my time in the Mojave with Fallout: New Vegas there was one thing I'd hoped to learn more about: the Burned Man. If you don't remember hearing his story, the Burned Man was one of Caesar's (the founder and leader of Caesar's Legion) best men until he failed him in battle. As a punishment, Caesar sentenced him to a gruesome death: covered in pitch, lit on fire and tossed off the cliffs of the Grand Canyon. Rumors around the desert indicated that he somehow survived this brutal treatment, but nothing ever came of it. Luckily for me Honest Hearts -- the second piece of downloadable content available for Fallout: New Vegas -- sheds more light on the legend. This adventure is more typical "Fallout" than the last bit of content, Dead Money. You travel to Zion National Park in Utah with the Happy Trails Trading Group and deal with what's going on there. It's a familiar formula of exploration, choice, murder and a decent (but not entirely gripping) storyline.

---

Some quick notes before you hit the road: you need to travel light. This means no companions (you'll have to tell them to go away yourself, they don't automatically leave you like they do in Dead Money) and 75 lbs of stuff on your back. There are ways to raise the poundage up to 100, but you'll need specific perks or skills to do so. If you're like me and prefer to have some backup, you'll be happy to know that you receive temporary companions during your stay at Zion.

The national park is a beautiful place filled with red cliffs, radiation-free water, plenty of plants to pick and stunning hand-painted murals on the bedrock. Although my feelings would differ if this happened in real life, I was pleasantly surprised when I got caught in a rainstorm. The addition of weather patterns is a really nice touch and at night the sky is bursting with stars. These details make Zion a really fun place to wander around in. Fast travel is also back (it wasn't possible in Dead Money) and that made me very happy.

There are two downsides to Honest Hearts -- the first is that the animals (a.k.a. target practice) aren't particularly interesting. The Cazador is still the most dangerous and annoying bug of all time (especially in its "Giant" variety here), while the geckos remain hilariously goofy. Basically, everything that can hurt you in the park is something you've seen before, and that's a little disappointing.

The storyline also lost steam after a couple of fetch quests and I eventually stopped caring about what was going on. Still, regardless of whether or not you give a damn, the ending forces you to make a moral choice that will decide the fate of the park and its inhabitants. There's no real black and white "good" or "bad" here, which I appreciate.

The icing on this cake is that downloading Honest Hearts boosts the level cap by five again, so you'll be able to kick even more ass in the wasteland. There's also some interesting loot to take back with you, including a Yao Guai gauntlet. Who doesn't want to run around with a mutated bear fist on their arm? That's what I thought.Also on: X360,PC

Closing Comments
When considering the $10 purchase, ask yourself these questions: Do I like Fallout, but need a new place to explore? Do I want a higher level cap? Do I want to know more about the Burned Man? If the answer to any of these is “yes”, then do yourself a favor and download Honest Hearts. It doesn’t change much of the Fallout formula, which is a good thing. The narrative could be stronger and there’s a lack of variety in terms of creatures occupying the park, but these are minor complaints about an otherwise enjoyable time.

by: Kristine Steimer

Posted in: RPG